Sunday, April 17, 2011

NBA season is over so is my interest

It’s been a long time since the Cavaliers were finished playing basketball in the month of April. In fact, back then you could still buy a gallon of gas ($2.28) cheaper than you could a gallon of milk ($2.50).

Someone named Gwen Stefani topped the charts with Hollaback Girl. America was transfixed by a little TV show called Lost and eagerly awaiting the opening of Spiderman 3 at the box office.

Yes sir, 2005 was the last time the Cavaliers didn’t make the playoffs. All of these years of exciting basketball and Cleveland fans just have no idea what to do with themselves with no NBA basketball going on downtown.

Much of the media somehow seem convinced in order to fill the void of all those tradition filled spring days of playoff basketball, Cavaliers fans needed to assemble together to cheer against LePippen and his merry band of hired guns.That sounds like the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. And yes, this is coming from a guy who’s second favorite NFL team has always been whoever was playing the Steelers. I have hated the colors yellow and black since before I got the training wheels off my bike.

I still automatically make a certain gesture whenever I see a bumper sticker for the team that wears those colors, and every time I meet someone from the city of Pittsburgh, there is always an awkward silence after the initial introductions.Hating the Steelers is a birthright and I was glad to discover recently that people that actually live in the city of Pittsburgh really do still hate Browns fans.

Apparently it is only the media and bandwagon Yellow and Black fans that live in Northeast Ohio that claim there is no rivalry left.

In fact I have much more in common with born and bred Steeler fans than I do with LeGarfunkel who was born in Akron. He grew up cheering for whatever team happened to be the best in their sport at that time.

Even though we considered him one of our own, from early childhood he painted and carried himself as an outsider. LeEdMcMahon never had any loyalty to Cleveland and I suppose it was silly for me to think that he would.

So now LeSanchoPanza has taken his talents to South Beach, I am supposed to what live vicariously through whoever happens to be playing the Heat. I know Evan “The Villain” Turner plays for the 76ers but I really could care less who else is on the roster. I would rather put hot coals on my eyes than cheer for Kevin Garnett, Carlos Boozer or Kobe Bryant.

I am not going to waste any breathe and time watching LeJazzyJeff play basketball.I am certainly not going to get all worked up on whether LeConstanza wins or loses.As I wrote a few weeks back beating LeBiden in Cleveland help give some closure. The Cavaliers have the third highest attendance in the NBA this season.

Only Chicago and Portland had more. Yes — nearly all of those tickets were sold before The Decision, but I salute all the fans that still showed up this season. Beating the Heat at home and closing the season out with winning basketball is a just reward for those people, even at the cost of a few ping pong balls.

Bryon Scott appears to be the right coach and after this year’s draft, the Cavaliers can start rebuilding the team into something Cleveland can be proud of.

Listen I am not saying that I won’t boo LeChewy for the rest of his life, that I won’t chuckle every time his mom gets arrested, that I won’t smile every time I watch a highlight of LeBarneyRubble missing a game-winning shot or get knocked on his behind.I will still immaturely come up with less than clever put-downs of his name. When the Heat get eliminated from the playoffs, I will raise my beer to toast their demise but in truth I don’t really care.

One day, I suspect LeGoose will win an NBA championship. I suspect he will act like everything he did to get it was worth it. He will laugh and cry alligator tears of joy. He will say everything his publicist pre-wrote for him with fake humility. But as that former owner of the Cleveland Browns found out, the celebration of a title is quick and fleeting. At a certain point, a trophy becomes just a door stop. However once you betray your family, it is never home again.

That kid who would be King gave up his birthright to party with his friends. That was his choice, he gave up chasing Jordan and being beloved to be a second fiddle and to win a title as fast and as easy as possible. Good for him.